


Let The Good Times Roll

by tinyscales



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Injury, Jealousy, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Regulus Lives With Alphard, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29167764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyscales/pseuds/tinyscales
Summary: James had his forehead pressed to the cool glass of the window, his exhaustion from the night before finally catching up with him when he noticed two unexpected people embracing each other on the platform.“Pads,” he said, not taking his eyes off the scene playing out in front of him, “Why is your uncle Alphard dropping Regulus off instead of your parents.”Sirius, who up until this point had had his face buried in Remus’ neck, whipped around to look out of the window. He stared for a moment - blinked a couple of times. He looked mystified. “I have no idea.”
Relationships: Regulus Black/James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 66
Kudos: 337





	1. Regulus Picks a Side

James was still half asleep when his dad parked their car outside of King’s Cross station. Beside him, Sirius was much the same. His eyes were glazed over and he looked on the verge of passing out. The pair had stayed up all last night reading a muggle horror novel Remus’ mum had leant them by wandlight and as a result hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep until four in the morning. James would never look at twins the same way again. 

“Here we are then, boys,” Said Fleamont with an uncalled-for amount of pep. 

James, Sirius and James’ parents all climbed out of the car and started unloading the teenagers’ luggage. They found a trolly to pile their cases and animal crates on and headed into the station which was bustling with early morning commuters dashing to catch their trains before work. 

“That’ll be us next year,” Sirius said gravely. 

James grimaced and squeezed Sirius’ hand, “Best not to think about it.”

They passed through the muggle side of the station mostly unnoticed. A few children on a school trip had pointed at James and Sirius’ owls with bright-eyed wonder, but other than that they were paid no mind. By the time they got to the entrance to platform nine and three quarters, James’ exhaustion had been replaced with the beginnings of excitement. Soon he’d be reunited with his friends and on his way back to his favourite place in the world. Part of him felt bittersweet knowing this would be the last first day he’d ever have, but he pushed that thought away and promised himself that he would enjoy every second of his final year at Hogwarts. 

One after the other, the family passed through the barrier and emerged on the platform. As expected, it was teeming with young magic folk fighting with their luggage, hugging their families and animatedly greeting their friends. 

“There’s Pete,” Sirius said, waving his arm. 

The small plump boy caught sight of them and kissed his mother on the cheek before running over. His eyes were as bright as his smile as he barreled into James, almost knocking the boy on his arse. 

“Can you believe you’re head boy?” Peter asked with enthusiasm, “You’ll be spending so much time with Evans. This is gonna be your year, mate. I just know it!”

And, yeah, he and Lily being made head boy and head girl might have had something to do with James’ anticipation for the year. He’d matured over the summer, he’d learned how to style his hair better and he was sure if Lily just gave him a chance, she’d see that his shirt was made of one hundred per cent boyfriend material. 

Containing his excitement, James shrugged a shoulder as if he hadn’t given it much thought. “I guess. I’m more focused on the new quidditch year. Gotta finish my time as captain off with a bang, you know.”

Behind him, his mother rolled her eyes, then gave her son a massive hug. “Now, sweetheart, I am begging you to behave this term. Just once I’d like not to receive a letter from Professor McGonagall four days into the school year listing all the repairs we have to pay for.”

“Not that we’re blaming you boys for anything,” his dad added, rubbing at his moustache, “I think the faculty’s been singling you out as an easy scapegoat.”

“Of course,” Euphemia nodded, “But you don’t want to give them an opportunity to pin anything on you. Keep your noses in your books and focus on your N.E.W.Ts.”

“Yes, mum,” James smiled with faux-innocence. He and his friends could probably blow up Gringotts and his parents would find a way to excuse their behaviour. Sometimes it paid to be a spoiled rotten only child of two doting parents.

Remus joined them not long later looking tired but not overly unwell. James felt a knot he didn’t know had been there release in his stomach. He always worried about Remus over the holidays. Hated thinking of him going through his change alone in that dank old basement. And if James was troubled, that nowhere near described the torment Sirius went through each full moon.

James watched as Sirius visibly relaxed and wrapped his arm around Remus’ waist. Neither of James’ parents said anything about the embrace, Sirius was tactile with everyone, but James was sure he saw the corner of his mother’s mouth quirk up in a smile. 

“We better get going then,” James said and gave his parents one last hug goodbye. 

Sirius did the same while Remus and Peter waved. The four of them made their way towards the train, hauling their luggage behind them and sighed with relief once they could sit down in a compartment. 

James had his forehead pressed to the cool glass of the window, his exhaustion from the night before finally catching up with him when he noticed two unexpected people embracing each other on the platform. 

“Pads,” he said, not taking his eyes off the scene playing out in front of him, “Why is your uncle Alphard dropping Regulus off instead of your parents.”

Sirius, who up until this point had had his face buried in Remus’ neck, whipped around to look out of the window. He stared for a moment - blinked a couple of times. He looked mystified. “I have no idea.”

Regulus had grown a little over the summer and looked significantly more gangly than he had the last time James had seen him. He’d grown his hair out too and while it wasn’t nearly as long as Sirius’, he had replaced his usual short clipped cut with a mop of dark curls that sat atop his head. When Regulus turned away from his uncle, James noticed that his skin had more colour to it; instead of looking permanently sickly, there was life in his eyes, in his rosy cheeks. His shoulders had lost their familiar tightness and had been exchanged with a sort of relaxed ease James had never seen before from the younger Black brother. All in all, he looked… good.

“My parents hate my uncle Alphard,” said Sirius, “This is seriously weird.”

The pair watched as Regulus struggled his way onto the train with his green and black trunk until he was out of view. Sirius had a strange look on his face. He looked… hopeful, maybe? James’ stomach churned uneasily and he leaned into his best friend’s side for comfort. Sirius had had that look before and it almost always ended in tears.

“So,” He said, changing the subject, “What do we have planned for this year, then, lads?”

It was dark by the time the train pulled to a stop at Hogsmeade station. All four marauders had changed into their Gryffindor robes and packed away the copious amount of sweets they’d gorged themselves on during the journey. Remus still had a smear of chocolate on his cheek and Sirius wiped it away, his eyes crinkling with a smile. 

They disembarked the train and stepped into the cold night air. James pulled his cloak tighter around himself with a shiver, then led the group down towards the carriages that would transport them up to the school. 

“I don’t envy those first years,” Remus said, watching as a group of youngsters wobbled their way into the rickety old boats. “That lake must be baltic tonight.”

“Didn’t you fall in on your first day, Pete?” Asked James. 

“I don’t care to remember,” Peter replied. “Oh, look, where’s Sirius going?”

“Don’t try to change the- Hey! Wait up!” James jogged over to where Sirius was making a beeline for a carriage packed with Slytherins all dressed in their dark green robes. He had that determined sort of look on his face, the same one he often wore when he was about to do something that McGonagall would definitely write to their mother about. “What are we gonna do?”

“Nothing,” Sirius said, “I just need to talk to someone.”

James frowned. As they got closer to the carriage, he started to recognise the students sitting inside. Snivellus was the first to catch his eye, which immediately left a nasty taste in James’ mouth. For a moment, James thought Sirius was hoping to get an early start with the pranking but stopped short when his friend turned to his cousin Narcissa. 

Narcissa looked just as surprised as James to find Sirius leaning into the carriage to talk to her. 

“What are you doing here?” She hissed. Her cheeks took on a pink tinge, like being seen with them was akin to public humiliation. Perhaps it was for blood purists. 

A couple of her friends started whispering among themselves. Sirius barely seemed to notice them. “What’s going on with Reg and uncle Alphard?” He asked, cutting right to the chase. 

Narcissa looked him up and down, then pursed her lips. “How should I know?”

“Because you know everything that goes down in our family. Now, do you want me to repeat the question?”

Narcissa sighed and leaned over the side of the carriage as if that would stop the gaggle of nosy Slytherins from listening in. “Look, I really don’t know all that much. Things are being kept quiet. Mother and Father won’t tell me a thing but last time I was at your parents’ house I noticed Regulus’ name had been burned off the family tapestry, just like yours,” She paused, lowered her voice further, “Bellatrix knows something. I think this all has to do with-”.

From somewhere down the line of carriages, Hagrid gave a final warning bellow for the remaining stragglers to climb aboard, or risk getting left behind. James wasn’t sure what to make of Sirius and Narcissa’s conversation, especially since the two rarely spoke in public if at all, but he wasn’t about to get stranded on the wrong side of the Black Lake. He tugged on Sirius’ arm and the pair ran back over to where Remus, Peter, Frank Longbottom and both Prewett twins were sat waiting for them. 

“What was that about?” Remus asked once they were all settled and the carriages had started to move. 

Sirius’ face was dark and closed off. Remus slipped his hand into his boyfriend’s own, his smile gentle and supportive. Finally, Sirius ran a hand down his face and said, “Regulus has been disowned.”

It was such an odd thing to hear spoken out in the open. Regulus had always been the ‘good’ child, at least in his parents’ eyes. He was the brother who always did as he was told, who never fought back or rebelled. If Sirius was the devil, Regulus was a godsend. He was the son Orion and Walburga Black could rely on to be a good little soldier - a good heir. 

And now he was out, banished from the family forever. James couldn’t envisage what Regulus could have done to find himself on the wrong side of his parents, but whatever it was, it must have been bad. Regulus was the Black family’s last male heir. They wouldn’t decide to turn on him lightly.

“Holy shit,” Whispered Peter.

“Yeah,” Said Sirius. 

“Not to be insensitive, but isn’t that a good thing?” Peter asked.

Sirius stared down at the floor of the carriage. There it was again - hope, forming on his features. “Maybe,” He said quietly.

James didn’t want to be the one to extinguish that promising light in Sirius’ eyes but there was a good chance this could all come to nothing. Sirius had tried for years to get through to his little brother and it had always ended badly. No one knew what it was like to pick up the broken pieces of Sirius’ heart like James, nobody except Moony. Filled with nervous tension, James looked up and caught Remus’ eye. He gave a sad smile and James knew he felt the same way.

No matter how many times he did it, walking into Hogwarts always made James feel like a little kid again. 

Sirius was still trapped in his own head as they joined the Gryffindor table, sitting right at the top. Peter sat beside him, tugging at his sleeve and telling him stories of his summer abroad with his mum to try and distract the troubled boy. By the looks of it, it wasn’t working. 

“Goodness,” Remus said and James nodded in agreement. 

Soon, the sorting began and James took the opportunity to tune out his surrounding - clapping only when the rest of his table did the same - and stared into space. At least, he was staring into what he thought was space. 

James felt his ears heat as he blinked himself back into awareness and realised he had been gawking at Regulus, who was staring right back at him. He opened his mouth. Closed it again. James couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken to Regulus but he was sure that whatever he had said, it hadn’t been pleasant. 

Around Regulus, his fellow Slytherin students had left a ring of space between him and them like the sixth year was carrying dragon pox or something. News must have travelled fast. Weirdly, James found himself feeling a little ticked off by that. So what if Regulus had been kicked out by his family? Did that mean he deserved to be ostracised by his own housemates too?

In James’ opinion, if whatever Regulus had done was enough to be disowned by possibly the worst family in the wizarding world - then whatever it was must have been fucking brilliant. 

Propelled forward by a wave of pettiness, James smirked across the hall and gave Regulus his best, most charming wink. To his surprise, instead of blushing or scowling or looking away, Regulus smiled back and, with a playful glint in his eye, stuck his tongue out. 

James didn't know what had gotten into Regulus, but he looked forward to finding out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think Narcissa was in the same year as the marauders but she is now! Also, I totally headcanon her and Sirius as the BIGGEST gossips.
> 
> Let me know what you think! And come hang out with me on [tumblr!](https://babie-snakes.tumblr.com/)


	2. Use Your Inner Egg to See the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super overwhelmed by the support you guys have given this fic. You're all angels <3

By the second Monday of term, James was ready to pull his hair out. He’d gotten up at the arse crack of dawn the day before to book the quidditch pitch for tryouts yet, somehow, the pitch had been double booked. Which meant that at some point today he’d have to challenge Lucinda Talkalot, the Slytherin team’s captain, for the time slot by wager of battle. He wasn’t looking forward to it. 

The day wasn’t a complete loss, however. By the grace of Merlin, Lily had joined the marauders for breakfast and while she claimed to only be there to talk to Remus, James counted it as a win.

“Why couldn’t you have been made Head Boy,” Said Lily wistfully. The ‘instead of James’ went unsaid. 

Remus shrugged. He was wearing a thick brown cardigan which was definitely not in regulation with school uniform and nursing a cup of warm tea between his hands. Sirius was smiling dopily at him from across the table. “I’ve decided I’m against figures of authority,” Remus said, “Power corrupts and all that.”

James shoved another spoonful of bacon and scrambled eggs into his mouth then smirked, “That, and he doesn’t fancy getting up for the early morning meetings.”

“They’re not _that_ early,” Lily frowned.

“No,” said Sirius with a wicked grin, “But you have to remember: I keep Moony up pretty late most nights.”

With suppressed glee, James watched as Lily’s face slowly transitioned from confused to understanding. Her skin, previously pale and dotted with freckles was now a similar shade to her hair. “Oh,” Was all she said and took a gulp of her orange juice.

James couldn’t help himself. “You okay there, Evans?” He asked. He had to bite his lip not to laugh when she glared at him over the rim of her glass.

“Fuck off, Potter.”

Breakfast was mostly uneventful after that. Remus and Lily got to chatting about a project they were to work on for their Advanced Arithmancy class, Peter managed to spill apple juice both on himself and on Alice who took a swing at him over it, and Sirius stared right past James’ head like he was wearing his invisibility cloak or something. No prizes for guessing who he was looking at.

“Hey, mate,” Sirius quietly got James’ attention when they began to pack up and head to their first class of the day, “If you see Regulus at practice, could you try and talk to him for me? See if you can find out what’s been going on with him?”

“Of course,” James said without hesitation. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his best friend, especially when the unknown was causing him so much strain. 

Outsiders typically presumed Sirius hated Regulus and that he’d discarded any warm feelings he’d had for his little brother when he ran away from home. Sirius had always been a good actor, but living with him all year round, sharing a home and a room with him, James knew the truth. He knew about the grief that plagued him, that woke him in the middle of the night in a pool of his own sweat. James knew the guilt that Sirius felt at having left Regulus behind. 

There had been nights, in the beginning, where James’ parents had had to guard the doors of their house to make sure Sirius didn’t try to go back. It hadn’t been pretty.

James wrapped his arm around Sirius’ waist and Sirius draped his arm over James’ shoulders. 

“I’ll try and catch him,” He reiterated, “But don’t you think it would be better if you talked to him instead?”

Sirius shook his head, his grey eyes sad, “I’ve never had much luck getting through to Reg. You’ll have the better shot.”

“Alright. But if I get hexed you owe me a sugar quill,” James jabbed Sirius in the ribs playful and raced off with Sirius in hot pursuit. It was a decent enough distraction.

Peter’s chest was heaving by the time they got to the top of the Divination staircase. Two discoloured patches stained the underarms of his shirt and his forehead was damp with perspiration. “I know we’re not supposed to have muggle technology here at Hogwarts, but they really have a good thing going with those elevators.” 

“They kind of freak me out,” James admitted as he hopped down from the stone windowsill he’d been sat in. His arse was numb from sitting in the same position for so long. “C’mon, we’re late.”

The pair scaled the ladder and climbed through the trap door. James had always hated this room. He found it stifling, claustrophobic, and he was forever falling down the ladder on his way out. But, the syllabus was easy and the lessons were always a right laugh, so he was in good spirits when he dropped into his seat next to Sirius. 

“Thank you for joining us, Mr Potter. Mr Pettigrew,” Said Professor Yahontov. He looked tiny in his oversized red velvet tub chair. He was wearing a gaudy cardigan that would put Moony to shame and on his nose sat a pair of round glasses with lenses as thick as the bottom of milk bottles. He was a strange little dude, but James liked him well enough. 

“You’re welcome, Professor,” He smiled in reply, earning himself a glower for his pleasure. 

Today they’d be studying Ovomancy, which meant they’d be spending the next hour cracking eggs. James didn’t know if this was Professor Yahontov’s first time unleashing a bunch of excitable teenagers on a box of eggs, but he was sure it’d be his last. Once each table of four students had a carton between them, they began to work.

“What are we supposed to be predicting?” Marlene asked from where she was swinging in her chair. Sirius, who she was sat on the other side of, took the opportunity to hook his foot under her chair leg and knocked her off balance. She managed to save herself and punched Sirius in the arm in retaliation.

“Anything you want,” Said Professor Yahontov, ignoring the violent display. 

“The more tragic the better?” asked James.

“Naturally, Mr Potter.”

Sirius would be working with Marlene which left James to partner up with Peter, who James sent to find a glass for the egg. When he came back, James pointed the tip of his wand into the glass and cast _aguamenti_ , filling it with clear water. He then tapped the side of the glass with his wand and the water instantly heated to a boil.

“Take one of those eggs and separate the whites from the yolk,” He told Peter as he opened up his textbook. He ran his finger down the page and tapped it once when a passage caught his interest. “Apparently, in parts of Asia, people throw eggs on the ground and interpret the pictures they make that way. Best file that information away for later.”

Sirius tapped his temple, “I’ll keep a backup saved in my brain just in case.”

“What now,” Peter asked. He was holding half of a shell in each hand. One was filled with whites, the other with the yolk. 

“Pour the whites into the glass.”

He did as instructed and the two boys quickly crouched to watch the picture the whites made in the water. If James was expecting something spectacular, enlightening or in the slightest degree discernible, he was sorely disappointed.

Peter pouted. “It’s a twizzle.”

“That it is, Pete. That it is.”

Sirius, who had abandoned his own egg to peer over the top of the glass, tilted his head and hummed, “It kinda looks like a worm from up here. Or a snake.”

“Yeah,” Said Marlene, with a teasing lilt, “Maybe his destiny is to fall in love with a Slytherin.”

Sirius grinned wolfishly, “Now, what Slytherin do we know that’s a bit of a worm, name possibly beginning with ‘S’?”

Peter dipped his fingers into the glass and flicked the cooling water at Sirius’ face. “I don’t like lads and even if I did, I’d rather die than go there.”

“As would we all,” Sirius agreed, wiping the water from his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He looked down at his textbook and huffed a laugh. “According to this one hundred per cent fact-based guide, a snake means - you won’t believe it - something bad is going to happen. Specifically, there’s going to be some sort of betrayal in Pete’s future.”

“Oh, great,” Peter groaned, “That’s just what I need.”

Marlene shrugged, “Doesn’t mean you’re the one that’s going to be betrayed. Maybe you’ll grass Sirius, James and Remus up to McGonagall next time you get caught sabotaging the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Booby trapping the door to drop a pail of unicorn piss on whoever opened it was inspired, by the way.”

James rested his cheek in his hand, watching the egg idly twirl in the water. This class really was a load of bollocks. He wished it wasn’t - wished that he really could get a glimpse of his future. The world around him had become such an unsettled place. With dark wizards on the rise and Death Eaters in the halls of Hogwarts, he had no idea what he and his friends’ futures would bring. Even a tiny glips, a nod in the right direction, would be enough to set him on the right track.

James sat up straight and tried to fend off his slowly souring mood. “Alright,” he said, “My turn.”

After casting a quick cleansing spell, he reboiled the water and began separating a new egg. The process was tedious and messy, with cold, slimy egg whites dripping down his fingers and wrist. He was glad he had his sleeves rolled up. Once they were as separated as they were going to get, he closed his eyes and wished. 

_Please_ , He thought, _Please show me something real_.

Then he tipped his egg whites into the boiling water and waited until the thick clear substance turned solid. 

James’ heart sank. He didn’t know why - it wasn’t like he actually believed in divination. But part of him had hoped that _something_ could have come from this. 

His disappointment must have shown on his face because Sirius nudged him in the ribs with his elbow, “Look, Prongs. It kind of looks like an elephant.”

“It looks like egg. Because it’s egg.”

“Nah, look closer. The thick bit’s the body and then there’s that long thin piece that kind of looks like the trunk. What does the book say about elephants?”

“It doesn’t say anything about elephants because it’s not an elephant,” He grumbled, shooting daggers at his glass. 

“I think it looks like a swan,” Said Marlene, “The long bit’s the neck.”

James sighed and decided the future wasn’t worth the trouble. He tapped the glass and the water cleansed itself again. He put all thoughts of snakes and swans from his mind and focused on something much more uplifting. 

“Let’s predict our deaths.”

By the end of Divination, Sirius had been tragically killed by James accidentally backing a car over the top of him while James was driven mad by Sirius’ vengeful spirit that had returned to torment him from beyond the grave. They both left the class with top marks and a big, creepy smile from Professor Yahontov. On the way out the door, James snatched an unused carton of eggs and only broke a couple of them when he tumbled down the last four steps of the ladder.

Sirius, delighted with their loot, took one of the eggs and began tossing it into the air and catching it. “What do you say we go try out that Asian method of divination, predict some futures?”

“Pads, I was thinking the very same thing.”

All four marauders plus Lily and Marlene met up on the first floor so the girls could nip into the bathroom to do whatever it was girls did in there. James wasn’t talking about pooping and peeing, of course - he was aware that women had bodily functions - but the other stuff. The stuff that makes them stay in there for hours, then waltz out as if they’d only been gone a minute.

Maybe they were practising forbidden spellwork. 

Yeah, that was probably it. 

Down the corridor, a group of leering Slytherins were talking in hushed voices outside of the Muggle Studies classroom. Sirius recognised most of them; both Carrow siblings, Travers and Snivellus. Who could forget poor little Snivellus? There were a few other kids with them, which looked like first or second years. All far too young to understand the gravity of hanging around with Death Eaters and their supporters. James thought of Regulus and how the influence of such a toxic crowd had led him down a similar path.

The gang’s muttering died down as the Muggle Studies class came to an end. James watched as Alecto Carrow took out her wand and readied her stance, waiting for the unsuspecting students to come filtering out. There was no doubt in James’ mind that they were planning something terrible. 

Two could play at that game.

Squaring his shoulders, James took two eggs from the carton then pushed the rest into Remus’ hands. “What fortune do you think the rest of her day holds?”

Sirius spun his egg on the tip of his finger. “Outlook not so good.”

Then, without warning, the two boys unleashed a hail of eggs on the Carrows. The siblings screamed, taken off guard, and tried to protect their yolk covered heads. Snivellus tried to draw his wand but was smacked right between the eyes by Remus. The gooey substance slid down his furious face and he shook with rage. James was about to reach for his own wand when Travers grabbed Snape by the arm and dragged him away, in close pursuit of the wailing Carrows. 

James was thoroughly impressed. “Wow, Moony. With aim like that, you should try out for the quidditch team.”

“Thanks but no thanks,” Remus said, disposing of the now empty carton in a nearby bin. He pulled the sleeves of his cardigan down over his hands and leaned into Sirius’ side. 

Students were now passing up and down the corridor, mostly unaware of the battle that had just taken place. James scanned the crowd and noticed the younger Slytherins were still hanging around. The marauders had made sure not to hit them during the fight so they were completely clean but still somewhat red in the face. James thought they looked a little ashamed, maybe embarrassed - and then he noticed who they were talking to. 

At some point during the commotion, Regulus had stepped out of his History of Magic class and apparently witnessed the whole thing. It was strange, but James was sure he could hear Regulus telling the first and second years that they needed to find better friends to hang around with, kids their own age. 

James looked at Sirius to see if he was hearing the same thing. Sirius’ eyebrows had almost merged with his hairline. The pair watched in stunned silence as the Slytherins took in Regulus’ advice and promised to do better in the future. 

Once they were gone, Regulus turned towards the Marauders with a look of controlled amusement on his face. His curly hair wasn’t quite long enough to fall into his eyes, but he pushed it back as if he were still getting used to the length. “Which one of you got Snape between the eyes?” He asked, and James noticed for the first time that his posh accent had gotten a little airier since they’d returned from summer. It was still quite quiet, a vast contrast to Sirius’ bark-like tone, but now he spoke with a sort of confidence James hadn’t known he possessed. 

In unison, both James and Sirius pointed to Remus.

Regulus considered Remus for a moment, like he was seeing the boy for the first time. Then he nodded and smiled. “You’d make a brilliant chaser.”

The group watched as Regulus turned on his heels and walked off down the corridor without looking back. 

In all the years James had known him, Regulus had never once been nice to Remus. He’d always disliked James and Peter, of course, but it was like he dug to a whole other level of nastiness for Remus, constantly ridiculing him for his worn clothes and his scars. James hoped his cruelty stemmed from Remus’ obvious bond with Sirius, but another part of him - a terrified part of him - wondered if Regulus _knew_.

Lily, who at some point had exited the girls’ bathroom (James couldn’t tell you when) crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, that was fucking weird.”

Autumn leaves lined the path down to the quidditch pitch in pale yellows and fiery reds. The afternoon air was crisp and bit at James’ nose when he inhaled too deeply. The mild cold was excellent weather for quidditch. It was a shame he wouldn’t be playing any.

“I booked the pitch first!” Lucinda yelled in that shrill voice of hers for what had to be the fiftieth time since James and the Gryffindor hopefuls had confronted her and the Slytherin team.

“But you didn’t!” James hollered back, throwing his arms into the air in exasperation. Seriously, he was going to pull his hair out. And James _loved_ his hair. Maybe that thought was what made him snap because a moment later he closed his eyes and tilted his head back to face the sky. “Fine, you win.”

“I know I win,” Said Lucinda, because she was just fucking like that.

Behind him, the students that had come down to try out for the Gryffindor team began making noises of complaint. James spun around. His face must have really been showing his emotions because one guy shut his mouth so quickly James heard his teeth clack together.

He took a deep breath and raised his hands in a placating manner. “Tryouts will be moved to tomorrow morning before breakfast. I’ll figure everything else out when we get back to the common room.” 

Nobody said anything to his face, but James was sure his housemates would be badmouthing him all the way back to school. He watched them walk away, then turned back to face the Slytherin team. 

“This isn’t over,” He promised Lucinda, then faltered, “And I need to talk to Regulus.”

Regulus had been stood on the outskirts of the group, covering a smile with his gloved hand while James and Lucinda had been shrieking at each other. He looked up when James said his name, confusion etched on his face. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Lucinda stepped in front of him.

“You can talk after practice.”

“But I want to talk to him now,” Said James, for the sole purpose of being difficult.

“No, later.” 

“No, now.”

“Later!”

“Now!”

“Later!”

“Now!”

“Later!”

“Later!” 

“Now!” 

“A-ha!” James pointed right at her face, finger inches from her bulbous nose, “Gotcha.”

Lucinda was seething, “Potter, I swear if you don’t leave right now I’m going to pummel you.”

James considered this. He didn’t think he liked the idea of being pummeled. He wasn’t vibing with it.

Peeking around Lucinda’s large frame, Regulus raised his hand halfway into the air, “Why don’t I meet you over by the oak tree once we’re done?” He offered.

James figured that of his options, that one would probably be the best. 

The sun began to wane as James sat under the shadow of the old oak tree. His back was against the trunk, his legs spread in a ‘V’ shape and he tossed his snitch into the air, absently playing with it, his thoughts elsewhere. 

Tomorrow was not going to be a good day. He somehow had to run trials for the Gryffindor team _and_ make it to his Headboy meetings all before breakfast. Maybe he could grab a slice of toast from the kitchens and eat at the pitch. He was sure his teammates would love that - him stuffing his face while they stood around cold and hungry trying to impress him. That wasn’t likely to inspire a mutiny _at all_.

James tossed his snitch into the air one more time and frowned when it failed to come back down. He looked up, hoping it hadn’t tried to fly away and found himself staring into the gentle face of Regulus Black. 

The boy was still dressed in his quidditch uniform, in tight black pants, fingerless gloves and his green and silver jersey. The front of his hair had been pulled back in a small bun to keep it from his eyes and he had a smudge of dirt on his face. He seemed a little nervous, but not overly so. Rolling James’ snitch in his hand, he asked, “You wanted to see me?”

James pushed himself up from the ground. Regulus was almost as tall as him now, but he still had a way to go before he’d be able to rival Remus or Sirius. “You’ve grown,” He said.

“Oh, well, I’ve been eating a lot of fresh vegetables.”

“Good,” Said James. “That’s good.”

The two boys lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. James slipped his hands into his pockets while Regulus fiddled with the snitch, eyes downcast. It was in this incredibly awkward moment that James realised that this was the first time he’d ever spoken to Regulus alone. Without the buffer of Sirius or something to fight about, James was at a loss for what to say. 

“So, did you come here just to comment on my height?” Regulus asked, looking back up from the ground. 

“Uh, no,” Said James. He scratched at the back of his neck then took a breath, “So, you know, we’ve been noticing that things have been a bit different for you this year-”

“We?” Regulus asked.

“Yeah. Me and, well, Sirius.”

Regulus nodded his head. James saw something akin to sadness flash through the boy’s eyes. He wrapped his arms around himself, the snitch going still in his hand. After a pause, he asked, “What did Sirius say?”

“Nothing much. I think he’s just been worried. Because, well, we’ve heard some things,” James elaborated. He felt stupid, standing in the middle of a field trying to string a sensitive sentence together with a boy he barely knew. It was a weird sensation, feeling his confidence drain. He wished Sirius were here. 

Regulus stared at him. 

A spark of irritation flared in James’ stomach. He gestured with his hands, “Things about you being kicked out and living with your uncle Alphard. Disinheritance and all of that. What’s the deal?”

For a moment, James thought Regulus was going to ignore him. Then the boy began to walk back in the direction of the path that led up to the school. James jogged to keep up, turning to look at Regulus when he finally spoke, “I wasn’t kicked out,” He said, arms crossed, mouth tight, “I left of my own accord. If Sirius has had a personality transplant and decided he cares enough about the goings-on in my life to be interested, he can ask me about them his damn self.”

James moved fast, putting himself between Regulus and the path. He placed a hand on each of Regulus’ upper arms, holding him still. Regulus looked like he wanted to protest but before he could, James hit him with one of his more charming smiles. 

“Hey, hey,” He said, “This is going downhill real fast and I don’t think either of us wants that. Sirius asked me to talk to you because he knows he always ends up putting his foot in it whenever he reaches out. He’d be here if he thought that was a good idea, but so much has happened between the two of you, you’ve got to admit that you’d both wind up saying things you don’t mean. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen how badly Sirius hurts when he comes back from a row.”

Regulus stopped walking. He stared into James’ eyes, searching for a lie. Then he sighed, all the fight bleeding out of him. “I’d wanted to get out for a while, I just didn’t know how. Uncle Alphard had been supportive of Sirius after he left, so I started contacting him in secret. He offered to take me in...” Regulus shrugged, “So, I live with him now. That’s all there really is to it.”

James watched as Regulus lowered his eyes and took hold of his forearm with one hand. He looked uncomfortable again. James reached out and pressed his hand atop Regulus’ own. “Are you sure that’s all there is?” He gently asked. He didn't want to push so hard Regulus would pull away, but something in him needed to know.

Regulus swallowed. When he spoke, his voice had lowered, “My cousin Bella, she’s taken the Mark.” James didn’t need to ask what 'mark' he was talking about. Nobody did. “My mother and father wanted me to do the same. The days were counting down before I’d be sent to visit _him_. And I couldn’t. I just couldn’t, James. So, like a coward, I ran.”

A cold wind whipped around the pair, tugging black strands from Regulus’ bun. James brushed the hair back behind Regulus’ ear, then gripped him by the shoulders, a strange sense of pride filling his chest. 

“I don’t think that’s very cowardly at all,” He told him, “In fact, I think that’s one of the bravest things I’ve ever heard.”

Regulus watched him sceptically, like he couldn’t quite bring himself to believe what he was hearing. “Really?” He asked, voice small. 

James nodded encouragingly, “Fuck yeah. Taking the Mark, obeying your parents - that would have been the easy option. What you did took real courage. You should be so proud of yourself, Reggie. I know Sirius will be.”

A soft smile graced Regulus’ lips and he looked up towards the school, like he was trying to see his way into the Gryffindor tower. “You really think so?” He asked again, “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

James shook his head, “I’m here to get info for your brother, not to brighten anyone's day. When have you ever known me to go out of my way to make a spindly little Slytherin smile?”

“I am not _spindly_ , nor am I little,” Regulus sniffed, trying to suppress a grin. “I’ve grown almost three inches over the summer.”

“And yet you’re still knee height.”

“Like you’re one to talk! You look like Sirius and Remus’ neglected adopted child. Have you yet to encounter a hairbrush?”

James’ mouth dropped open, “I have wondrous hair!”

“You keep telling yourself that, Potter.”

James pouted, hands on his hips, “You know, I think I liked you better when you were pretending I didn’t exist.”

“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you showed me kindness,” Regulus remarked before flicking his hair behind his shoulder and striding towards the path. 

James watched him go, the ghost of a smile on his mouth. 


	3. The Drowning of Regulus Black

James dreamed he was underwater. 

Something as cold as death itself had his foot in a vice-like grip and was dragging him down, down, down, deeper into the murk of the great lake. He could do nothing to fight the invisible force that was slowly pulling him away from the blue light that shone from where the still face of the lake met air. 

His chest burned, his eyes wept and as James began to take on water he watched the underside of the surface of the lake, able to do little else. A small shadow cast down over James’ limp body and just before he closed his eyes, losing himself to his dream, he saw the shadow stick its dark, pointed head into the water. James stared into the eyes of the black swan and faded.

James lurched upright, almost smacking his head against Sirius’ own. He was back in his dormitory, safe in the confines of his four-poster bed.

“Woah, easy, it’s just me,” Sirius laughed, clapping James on his damp back. James’ heart lurched and something heavy sunk to the pit of his stomach. For a second, he thought he was still wet from the lake. With burning cheeks, he realised that it was sweat he was covered in, not lake water. “You good? You sounded like you were having one gnarly dream.”

James pressed his hand to his chest and felt the racing of his heart. He took a breath to steady himself. What had that been about? James had never been scared of water before and he rarely had nightmares. The ones he did have usually centred around him showing up naked to one of his classes and being laughed at by his teachers. But this one hadn’t felt like that dream - this had felt far too real. 

“Come, let’s get some breakfast into you. You look like shite, mate.”

Sirius dragged James from his bed and helped him find some decently smelling clothes. It was the weekend and Peter was already down in the great hall. Remus was with him, having only just come back from the hospital wing. This full moon had not been kind to him. It rarely was around Halloween. James wondered as he and Sirius made their way down to breakfast if that was why there was such a connotation between muggle Halloween and werewolves.

“Oh, you cannot be serious,” Sirius groaned as they walked through the double doors that lead into the packed great hall. Sitting at the Gryffindor table between Remus and Regulus was Gilderoy Lockhart, that infuriating Ravenclaw from the year below.

Since James and Regulus’ talk a few weeks ago, Regulus and Sirius had begun to mend bridges and, for the first time in six years, were finally back on good terms. Which meant Regulus had started spending most of his free time with the Marauders. That was fine by James. Regulus was quiet, quick-witted and always laughed at James’ jokes. That, on top of the fact that Sirius’ happiness was at an all-time high, was enough to overshadow the fact that Regulus was still a sneaky sodding Slytherin. 

Things had been fine for a while. Most of the time James barely realised Regulus was there. Sometimes, he’d be sat on the edge of the fountain in the courtyard, fiddling with the map and wouldn’t realise until he tried to get up that Regulus was pressed against his side, pouring over some old book on astronomy. Other times, Regulus would silently pick at a hair on James’ jumper or wipe at a smudge on his face. James expected he would find that sort of fussing annoying but for some reason when Regulus did it, it was oddly endearing. It reminded James of the way Sirius would fix Remus’ hair first thing in the morning or how Remus would smarten up Sirius’ tie before class. 

Then Lockhart inserted himself into the picture. 

It had started, seemingly, when Regulus had needed a partner in one of his classes. Since a lot of his fellow Slytherins were either shunning him or were too afraid of retaliation from the others to volunteer, Regulus had found himself without a stable group of friends outside of James and the rest of the Gryffindors. Regulus had seemed flattered when Lockhard had insisted upon them working together and, since then, the blond git had started showing up everywhere that Regulus went - which meant he was also everywhere James went. 

Lockhard sat with one arm around Regulus’ shoulder and his other hand twirling a lock of golden hair around his finger. James wanted to storm over and forcibly remove the powder blue sea urchin but thought better of it. That would be weird, he reasoned, and he didn’t feel like being scrutinised by the entire school today. Instead, he took the seat opposite Regulus, Sirius plonking down beside him, and pointedly ignored the parasite. 

And, okay, maybe that description was a little harsh, but James was sure there was a lot more than sympathy for Regulus’ situation motivating Lockhart’s behaviour. Regulus may have been disowned, but he still had his name, and the name Black carried a lot of power in the wizarding world. James wouldn’t put it past the pesky social climber to use Regulus and his naivety for his own personal gain. 

“Of course, we’ll be rivals now,” Lockhard grinned blindingly. His teeth were an artificial sort of white colour. Looking at them for too long gave James a migraine. 

Regulus tilted his head to the side as he stirred his tea. “How so?” he asked, tapping the spoon on the brim, before placing it back down on the table. 

Lockhart looked sincerely disappointed. “ _Because_ I’ve been chosen as the new Ravenclaw seeker! It’s all the whole school has been able to talk about since it was announced!”

Regulus raised his eyebrows and sipped his tea. “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

“Me too,” said James, batting his eyes innocently. He had heard since it was his job as the Gryffindor team’s captain _to_ hear that sort of thing, but the news was hardly something anyone outside of a few quidditch players cared about.

Remus, who looked like he could use a few more hours of sleep, yawned, “I’m not even sure I’m hearing it now.”

“You’re joking, right?” Lockhart laughed, his stony face beginning to light up once again with an unnatural glow, “Of course you are! You Marauders are always ribbing each other. I suppose this is just what it’s like to be part of the gang.”

“Excuse you,” Sirius began, but James stepped on his foot, making him yelp. 

“The role of seeker,” Lockhart continued without affording Sirius’ outburst a fragment of his attention “As I’m sure you’ll understand, Regulus, is the most challenging and important part of any quidditch team.”

“Position,” James corrected as he piled bacon onto his plate.

“Come again?” asked Lockhart.

“The _position_ of seeker. Not the role. You haven’t been cast in a Broadway show.”

Lockhart blinked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Just ignore him,” Regulus smiled, rolling his eyes fondly at James. It made something warm bloom behind his ribs. “But you’re right. Seekers are the most important when it comes down to it and catching a snitch requires a lot more talent than, let’s say,” Regulus eyed James over the rim of his cup, “a chaser, for example.”

James pointed his fork at Regulus, “I will not hesitate to vault over this table.”

Regulus covered his mouth as he laughed and James watched Lockhart’s eyes dart between the two and his face sour. Then, as quick as the expression had appeared, it vanished, leaving James wondering if he’d seen it at all. Lockhart dropped his arm from Regulus’ shoulder then turned his body into Regulus’ side, crowding his space. 

“I’d be happy to give you a few pointers if you fancied training together sometime,” He offered, much to James’ dismay. 

He didn’t like to admit it - doing so went against everything James stood for - but Regulus was good at quidditch. Actually, he was more than good; he was brilliant, wonderfully gifted, nothing short of amazing. As captain of the Gryffindor team, James hated him for it. He hated Lockhart even more for acting like his amateur arse had _anything_ to offer Regulus at all. And, if someone _had_ to train with Regulus, well, Gilderoy Liar-Liar-Pants-On-Fire Lockhart wouldn’t even be Regulus’ first pick out of the people at their table - of that, James was sure. 

He was just about to reiterate that point for the group when Regulus shook his head, looking down at the table. “Fine,” He said, biting his tongue, “We’ll train together and you can give me those pointers you’re on about.”

“Excellent,” said Lockhart and he turned back towards James with another one of his future award-winning smiles. 

James wanted to hit him. 

The group managed to shake Lockhart after lunch by announcing they’d be spending the rest of the day in the library. James himself wasn’t thrilled by the idea but he could have kissed Remus for suggesting it when Lockhart made his excuses and fled out into the gloomy quad. Not long after, once they’d settled themselves in a quiet nook far from Madam Pince’s hawk-like gaze, Lily and her friends decided to join them. So, despite being cooped up in the cramped and dusty library, James wasn’t about to complain. Even if it was a Saturday.

Marlene and Sirius sat on the window ledge, their legs up and entwined. Between them, they shared a shrinking cigarette. Sirius took a long drag then handed the tab back to Marlene. He blew smoke from the corner of his mouth while checking back between the bookshelves, making sure Madam Pince couldn’t see. 

Beneath him, Regulus was sat cross-legged on the floor with a thick book in his lap. Lily was to one side of him, scratching out an essay in her pretty hand. James had always liked her penmanship, how she looped her ‘J’s when she wrote his name. Sitting on the other side of Regulus, James couldn’t help but notice that he had nice handwriting too. The size of his writing was much smaller than Lily’s, small enough that he could fit detailed notes around the borders of his page. It was neat and sharp, just like Regulus himself.

Regulus ran his finger down the centre of his book and fished a quill out of his bag. He fumbled for a brief moment more before sighing toward the ceiling. 

“What?” James asked. He hadn’t realised how close he was sitting to Regulus until he turned his face towards the boy. From this close, he could easily spot the flecks of blue in his pale eyes. On Regulus’ upper eyelid, there was a small dark mole, the same colour as his hair. He’d never noticed it before now and, as Regulus dropped his head back down to a normal level, he found that he quite liked it. 

Regulus had pretty eyes.

“I must have left my inkwell back in my dorm,” He frowned and started packing away his things. 

Lily looked up from her own work and gently placed a hand on Regulus’ arm, making him pause. “Here,” She said and handed him her own deep blue inkwell, “You can share mine.”

James watched as Regulus looked between Lily’s hand on his arm and the one holding the bottle of ink. For a moment, James thought Regulus was going to decline her offer. The old Regulus would have. The old Regulus also wouldn’t have taken too kindly to being touched by a muggle-born. 

But the boy sitting in the library, his knee pressed against James’, wasn’t anything like the old Regulus at all.

“Thank you,” Regulus said softly. He took the inkwell in his hand, opened the top and dipped his quill into the ink. 

Tension that James hadn’t realised had been there left the room. Sirius dropped his free hand down and ran his fingers through Regulus’ hair. Regulus swatted his hand away, scowling down at his page. James felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from his chest.

“What are you studying, anyway,” Sirius asked as he peered down from the window ledge.  
“Astronomy.”

Sirius made a sound of understanding, “See, I thought you were reading a baby name book. I figured there might be something you needed to tell us.”

“Shut up, Sirius,” Regulus muttered and turned the page of his book. 

James read the title of the next page: _Constellations of the Zodiac and their Magical Properties_ . A little way down the page, on the Leo constellation, a single star was circled in green ink. _Regulus_ , it read. 

“How do you get a lion from that,” James asked, eyeing the shape of the constellation. Lions were something James was somewhat of an expert on - and that was no lion. “Looks like a duck to me,” He smirked.

“It is not a duck,” Regulus argued demurely.

“Oh, yes it is,” said Sirius, “Mum and dad should have named you Mallard Black.”

“Aww,” James cooed, pinching Regulus’ cheek, “Little Mallard Black. So cute.”

Regulus’ cheeks were flaming and he covered his face with his hands. “You guys are the worst. I’ve changed my mind. I’m going back to hanging out with the Death Eaters. They’re less cruel than you.”

Laughter bubbled out of James’ chest and he wrapped his arms around Regulus’ neck, pulling the boy sideways until he face-planted into James’ shoulder. James ruffled his hair, making Regulus blush all the more. “C’mon, Reggie. You know you couldn’t be without us now.”

With great difficulty, Regulus managed to wriggle and writhe his way out of James’ grasp. The teasing had left him hot and panting with a wavering smile on his lips. Next to him, Lily was watching the two of them closely. There was a twinkle in her beautiful green eyes like she knew something no one else in the room did. James was about to question her on it when Regulus pushed his book and quill into his bag and stood.

“I’m off for a walk. I need some fresh air,” He said. 

To James’ surprise, he got to his feet too. “I’ll join you,” He offered. Regulus studied him briefly, then nodded. “See you guys later,” He said to his housemates and followed Regulus out of the library. 

Behind them, Remus rolled his eyes.

James adjusted his cloak around him. It was cold outside and getting colder the closer they came to winter. Soon it would start snowing, the way it always did at Hogwarts around Christmas, and James would have to break out his heavy-duty Quidditch kit. It was a lot bulkier than his normal one and would slow him down some but he wasn’t worried. After six years on the team and three of those as captain, James had learned to adapt. Pettily, he hoped Regulus had not done the same. 

“That captain of yours is a right beast. I don’t know how you put up with her.”

Regulus was fiddling with his wand, trying to spin it around his fingers like how Sirius often did. “Lucinda?” He asked, “Oh, she’s not that bad. She’s actually been really good to me since- well, you know. She sticks up for me and not a lot of people want to go against her because she’s massive and who in their right mind would pick a fight with her?”

James had done just that a few days ago but didn’t dare bring it up in case it proved Regulus’ point. It was relieving, though, to know that Regulus had someone on his side, even if it was James’ mortal nemesis. It had worried him to think of the boy all on his own, having to fend off his entire house because he chose kindness and bravery over bigotry and cowardice. Perhaps Lucinda’s defiance meant that Regulus and his newfound beliefs were not the minority in Slytherin after all. Perhaps the stereotype of Slytherins being awful was simply down to a case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.

James thought briefly if he should stop terrorising Regulus’ housemates and call for a truce, then decided that he only had a few more months left as a student and there was no point changing his ways now. Besides, Sirius would never go for it and James wasn’t about to leave his best friend to prank alone. 

"So, do you and your new bestie ever discuss upcoming quidditch matches? Tactics, perhaps?” James enquired. 

“Oh no,” Regulus chided and slapped James hard on the chest, “You’re not getting anything out of me, Potter.”

James stumbled back a step, a hand over where Regulus had playfully slapped him. He hadn’t realised Regulus was so strong - he’d always seemed to be built like a wilting flower to James. Mouth curling into an impish grin, James suddenly sprinted right at the other boy, who turned on his heels and made a run for it. “We’ll see about that, Black!”

The late-autumn chill was much harsher near the Great Lake, uncharacteristically so. Hot breath hitting the frosty air caused pockets of mist-like condensation to float up and away, into the darkening sky. James didn’t know when it had gotten so late, or even if it were late at all. Night seemed to draw in earlier and earlier at this time of year. For all he knew, he and Regulus could have been walking for thirty minutes or triple that. 

“Are you cold?” James asked as they reached the bank of the lake. They’d mirrored their steps so they were walking in time with each other, their shoulders occasionally brushing and bumping. Regulus leaned a little closer into James’ warmth and James wrapped his arm around Regulus’ shoulders. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“It’s not terrible,” Regulus amended, but he didn’t move to distance himself from James. It made James want to hold him all the tighter. 

It was odd, James thought, how different Regulus felt under his arm than Sirius so often did. In his head, Regulus was like a smaller, crankier version of his brother and while James knew that wasn’t a fair description of him, he couldn’t stop it from coming to mind. And whenever it did, James found his assessment dashed. Because Regulus broke every mould James tried to fit him in. He wasn’t the cruel and calculating heir to the Black family fortune; he wasn’t a shy and shaking shadow of his former self, either. And he certainly wasn’t Sirius, James knew that for sure. 

He knew he felt a fondness for his new friend and an immense sense of protectiveness to go with it, but it wasn’t the same fondness and protectiveness he felt for Sirius. And that confused James, left him feeling bare and unsure of himself and his own motivations. There was just something different about what he felt for Regulus - and James had no idea what that was.

Beside him, Regulus came to an abrupt stop.

“Is that a horse?” He asked, head tilted to the side. 

James followed Regulus’ line of sight out over the lake and indeed, a little away from them, knee-deep in the dark water, stood a great and beautiful horse. 

James had no idea where the horse had come from or how they’d missed it up until that point. He also had no idea why it would choose to venture into the freezing lake when it was already so horribly cold. 

“Something feels off,” Regulus said and James agreed. There was a strangeness in the air. It made the hair on the back of James’ neck stand on end like that time lightning had struck the pitch during his match against Ravenclaw last year. 

Looking around, James found there was no one nearby to possibly be the horse’s rider. Not that many people rode horses at Hogwarts, anyway. The lake area was deserted of both teachers and students and while the weather wasn’t favourable, that didn’t explain why _everyone_ was mysteriously gone. 

James shuddered, whether from the cold or something else and tuned to Regulus, “We should go back inside.”

A look of confliction passed over Regulus’ face. He bit his lip, then glanced back at the horse where it stood soundless in the still water. “I’ll meet you back in the library. I’m just going to check that it’s alright.”

James lurched forward and grabbed Regulus by the hand before he could leave. “I’m not going without you,” he said. 

“Then wait here,” Regulus replied and slipped his hand from James’ desperate grasp. 

James’ instincts told him something was wrong; very, very wrong. 

At the water’s edge, Regulus undid his shoes and removed them one after the other, then placed one sock in each shoe. He rolled up his pants until the hems were folded nicely at each of his pale knees. Without looking back, he stepped into the water.

A hiss slid past Regulus’ chattering teeth and he instantly began to shiver. James hoped that would be his lesson learned and that Regulus would make a break for land where James could wrap him up in his cloak until the chill was chased from his bones. But James had no such luck and could do nothing but watch as Regulus waded out.

The wind changed just as Regulus reached the horse. The air carried a fishy stench towards land, mixed with sea salt and an odour that reminded James of the time a mouse had died in the walls of the quidditch changing rooms and had rotted away there, festering in the summer heat. It made James gag and his eyes water but he didn’t look away. He couldn’t.

So James watched. Watched, as Regulus slid his fingers into the horse’s dark, coral-filled mane; as his arms clung to its neck, got stuck there and, to James’ horror, began to sink into the horse’s very being. 

That was when James realised why the horse smelled so bad, why it had appeared from nowhere and why it carried the essence of the sea into the Great Lake. Because it wasn’t a horse at all and Regulus was in grave danger.

As mentioned before, James typically wasn’t afraid of deep water. He was a strong swimmer and could hold his breath for longer than the rest of the marauders combined. But the water he had learned to swim in as a child hadn’t been infested with monsters and his dad, who had been his teacher, had never instructed him on how best to rescue someone from a kelpie. Because why in Merlin’s name would he?

So James did what he always did when he was out of his depth. He took a deep breath and dove headfirst into trouble.

The water was as bitterly cold as James expected. If he hadn’t been so focused on keeping his mouth closed, the shock of the temperature might have stolen his breath from him. It hurt to keep his eyes open thanks to the amount of mud and sediment that had been kicked up from the kelpie’s backwards hooves. But he fought against the pain because beneath him Regulus continued to be dragged further into the murky abyss. If James lost sight of him, it would all be over, he was sure - and that wasn’t an option. 

So he blinked hard and endured the sharp sting of dirt in his eyes. He kicked his legs and clawed the water with his hands. He ignored the way his body protested against the cold, how his muscles burned like they were on fire and he put every ounce of strength he had into catching up with the creature while Regulus, the whole time, fought for his life.

His arms were still trapped in the kelpie’s sticky skin and no matter what he tried he couldn’t pry them loose. Then he twisted in the water, got his legs underneath him and planted his feet into the kelpie’s back, instantly getting them stuck. Using his trapped feet as a centre, he wrenched his arms with all his might until they finally tore free of the kelpie’s coat. If it didn’t mean losing air, James would have whooped with delight.

But they weren’t out of the woods yet. Nowhere close. 

They were so far down now that the light from the moon above barely reached them. It was getting harder to see by the second. Luckily, James had managed to catch up and when Regulus reached out towards him, he was able to grab both of the boy’s hands. He tried to pull at Regulus, but there was nothing to brace himself on. Then with one hand, he groped his pockets until he pulled out his wand. He was about to cast a spell - any spell - when he noticed the terror that had previously been apparent of Regulus’ face was beginning to melt. His eyes were losing some of their light, his muscles were going limp. Air bubbled from Regulus’ nose and the strength went out of the hand that clung to James’ own. 

Fear struck through James’ chest and squeezed at his heart. No, no, no, this couldn’t be happening. Panic fueling him, he fumbled in the water to get himself at the right angle. Once they were face to face, James encouraged Regulus to open his mouth with his fingers. Regulus tried to shake his head, his eyes sad, but James persisted. He took Regulus by the hair and slid their mouths together. He didn’t have much air to give, but hopefully, it was enough to give them a chance. 

All around them, grindylow were beginning to swarm. Their sharp teeth and pale eyes glinted abnormally in the dark with hunger clear on their sickly faces. If the ghastly creatures began to frenzy there was no way James or Regulus would survive. And they still had the little matter of their kelpie to contend with. 

Wrapping his arm tightly around Regulus’ waist, James shot a flurry of white sparks from his wand, so bright they made the grindylow scream and cover their eyes. The spell didn't do any permanent damage but managed to deter the creatures enough that James was able to turn his attention back to the kelpie. 

They didn’t have much time left. James’ lungs were burning, desperately screaming out for air. They were so far from the surface now and Regulus’ feet were still firmly stuck inside the kelpie’s skin. James could think of no way to get Regulus loose that wouldn’t end with James getting stuck too. And even if James did manage to set them free, they would never make it to the surface in time. 

There was only one thing James could think of to save them both and it churned his stomach to think about it. Tightening both arms around Regulus, James held him close and pointed his wand down in the direction of the kelpie. Then he said a silent prayer and, with the last of his breath, shouted, “ASCENDIO!”

James kept a bone-crushing grip on Regulus as the world began to sink around them. Water rushed over their bodies, ripping and tearing at their clothes and while James had his eyes pressed firmly shut he could tell they were hurtling toward a light source. In his arms, Regulus had screamed in pain as he was torn from the kelpie and was now shaking against James’ chest. 

Guilt tugging at his insides, James pressed his face into Regulus’ neck clung on for dear life as they burst into the light.

It felt like an eternity had passed between Regulus wading out into the lake and James crawling his way back onto dry land. He was soaked through and bone tired. On the shore beside him, Regulus lay on his back, staring up at the star-speckled sky. His face, taut with tension, was as pale as the waxing moon above them. 

James pushed himself up on shaky arms and kneeled his way over to Regulus’ still body. He pressed a cold hand to Regulus’ cheek and released a breath of relief when he leaned into the touch. Despite the low temperature, Regulus’ body thrummed with life. 

“I thought I’d lost you there,” he whispered as he removed his sodden cloak. He performed a quick drying spell, then bundled it up and slipped it under Regulus’ head as a makeshift pillow. 

He took a stabilizing breath. 

He knew Regulus had been hurt when he was torn from the clutch of the kelpie and James struggled to build enough courage to drag his gaze from Regulus’ face and inspect the damage. 

Then Regulus reached out and took James by the hand. He gave a squeeze and smiled tightly. His eyes crinkled in what could have been from the smile or from pain. James didn’t want to know which. He squeezed Regulus’ hand back, then looked down at the boy’s feet. 

James’ stomach did an unpleasant flip and he forced himself to look away. Regulus’ ankles were horrific, misshapen and twisted like soft clay. 

“How bad?” Regulus asked, not daring to check for himself. 

James swallowed, “Too bad to walk - and I don’t think I’ll be able to carry you all the way back up to the school.”

“Really?” Regulus tried for a laugh but it came out hollow and tired, “I’d have thought the great James Potter would be able to throw me over his shoulder like a bag of flour no problem.”

“Well, you’re a wet bag of flour. That adds some to the weight.”

Slowly, Regulus pulled himself up until he was sitting. He spared a glance towards his feet, paled even still, and quickly cast his eyes away. “Oh, Merlin. That kelpie got me good.”

A sour taste filled James' mouth and he took out his wand to fiddle with. It hadn’t been the kelpie that had broken Regulus’ ankles. It had been James and his stupid spell. It wasn’t even like he could feign ignorance either for he had known what would happen when he cast it. But at the time he couldn’t think of any other way to get them back to the surface. It had been his only option, he told himself, despite how much it pained him to have hurt Regulus.

“I’m sorry,” He started to say, but Regulus swatted at him.

“Don’t you go blaming yourself,” he chided, “You Gryffindors: you’re all the same.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that no matter how valiant you behave, you’ll always find a way to criticise your actions. ‘I could have done this better, I could have done that’. You saved my life, James. One night in the hospital wing and I’ll be back on my feet in no time. If you hadn’t cast that spell…” Regulus looked grim, “I don’t want to think about it. Drowning," He whispered, "What an awful way to die."

James nodded. Regulus was right, of course. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so hard on himself. 

Squaring his shoulders, he shook off his anxieties and took charge of the situation. “I’ll send a patronus up to the school for help,” he said and waved his wand. 

The figure of a beautiful, glowing stag emerged, tapping its hoof on the soggy ground. Regulus watched the creature with wide-eyed wonder and reached out as if to touch it. His reach was too short, however, and he pulled his hand away, saddened. James’ patronus listened to his orders, then galloped off towards the school, taking the light with it. 

“Your patronus is beautiful,” Regulus said, once silence fell between them again. They sat close together for warmth and James used his wand to set a small fire nearby. Regulus’ wand had washed up on the shore not long after they’d escaped from the water. A fat lot of good that had done them. “It suits you,” He said. 

James preened at the praise. His patronus and, unbeknownst to Regulus, his animagus form was something James took great pride in. “You think?” He asked and Regulus nodded, “What form does yours take?”

Regulus shifted uncomfortably, then winced when the motion jostled his ankles, “I don’t have one,” He admitted, “I suppose I don’t have many good memories to help me conjure one.”

A chill settled in James’ stomach and guilt welled once more. Of course, Regulus couldn’t cast a patronus. Sirius had only been able to once he had left his parents house for good and even then it took immense effort. The Black’s didn’t exactly raise the most joyous of children. James almost tried to apologise again, then decided on a different route. 

“Why don’t I teach you,” He offered, an easy smile coming to his lips, “I’m a great teacher. Almost as good as Moony.”

Regulus raised a sceptical brow, “You really think you’re up to the task?”

“Uh, yes. All we have to do is get you a few good memories, then it’ll be a piece of cake.”

Regulus huffed a laugh, then looked back out over the lake. His eyes looked gorgeous under the moonlight. “If you say so, Potter.”

“We’re already halfway there,” James said just as the sound of pounding feet on dirt began to sound from behind them. Their rescuers were still a way off yet. 

“How so?”

James smirked wickedly, it was a look that was second nature to him, “Well, now you have the memory of my wet, writhing body pressed up against yours. I’m sure that should be enough to elicit _something_ from you.

Regulus made a face as if he were about to be sick, but his red-tipped ears gave him away. He looked down, then brought those grey eyes back up to meet his friend’s. They were warm and grateful and content, “You’re something else, you know that, James?”

James did know that and, as Sirius, Remus and Peter hurried towards them, Madam Pomfrey hot on their trail, he decided he was willing to do a lot more than fight a kelpie to see that look sent his way again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr 🐍 [@babie-snakes](https://babie-snakes.tumblr.com/) 🐍! I sometimes post writing there that doesn't make it to my AO3.


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